More Than Just Friends: A New Day
by Lissical
Summary: C.J. and Sam's friendship could turn into something more.


~Monday Morning~  
  
Sam walked through the Communications bullpen on his way to Leo's office for the morning staff meeting. On his way there, he began to think about his dinner with C.J. on Saturday. She had been so understanding. It was as if she was, well, a person who he could always confide in.  
  
While he was lost in his train of thought, he wasn't looking where he was going and bumped into the wall. "I really have to start to look where I'm going." He then heard someone laughing at him, and immediately turned to look at her.  
  
"Are you trying to set a record for walking into things, Sam?" C.J. asked, as she calmed herself from laughing.  
  
"Well good morning to you too," he said, collecting himself and smiling at the sight of her. "How are ya this morning?"  
  
"Oh, I'm alright. Except for the fact that I couldn't drive to work today." She said as they began walking towards Leo's office.  
  
"Why couldn't you drive to work?"  
  
"I lost my contacts and my glasses really aren't all that great, so I didn't want to risk getting into an accident."  
  
"You could have called me. I could have picked you up." She said nothing as they walked into Leo's office. "At least let me drive you home."  
  
"Alright, thanks. I'd appreciate that."  
  
"No problem." He said, sitting down next to her on the couch.  
  
"What's no problem?" Josh asked, walking in the office, a wry smile on his face when he saw the two seated next to each other.  
  
"Nothing, Josh. Relax. Maybe you should try standing against the wall or something." Sam said, trying to divert his attention from C.J. and himself.  
  
Josh gave the two a look, but backed down anyway and went to sit in one of the chairs.  
  
As the Toby and Leo came in, Sam and C.J. exchanged glances, knowing that Josh was going to press the two about what was 'no problem' later.  
  
"Alright," Leo said as he closed the door and sat down, "Toby, Sam, you two do know that the President has to give a speech on education later today, don't you?"  
  
Toby nodded while Sam had his eyes fixed on C.J. and was not listening.  
  
"Sam? Hello, earth to Sam!" Leo said, quite loudly. Sam snapped back into reality.  
  
"What was that, Leo?" He asked, looking up at Leo.  
  
"I said, you do know that the President has to give a speech on education later today, and you and Toby have to write it." He sounded rather impatient. "You did know that, right?"  
  
"Y--yes, I know." Sam said, receiving a look from Josh, who obviously knew that there was something going on between Sam and C.J.  
  
When the meeting was over, everyone filed out of Leo's office and started towards their offices. "Well, I'll see you later." C.J. said as she and Sam hung back for a minute. "You wanna do lunch today?"  
  
"Sounds good to me," Sam said as he headed towards his office.  
  
"So, Claudia Jean, what's going on between you and Sam?" Josh asked inquisitively as he and C.J. walked to their offices.  
  
"Nothing." She answered a little too quickly. When she saw that he didn't believe her, she added, "Why don't you go and see what you can do to help fight the President's secret plan for inflation?" She walked into her office, leaving Josh just standing there, dumbfounded.  
  
As Sam walked to his office, Kathy caught up with him. "Sam, you received a phone call from a Cynthia Seaborn. Is she at all--"  
  
"Thank you Kathy." Sam said as he rushed into his office and closed the door. He picked up the receiver and dialed the number that was on the piece of paper Kathy had given him.  
  
"Hello?" Said a quiet voice on the other end of the line.  
  
"Hey Cynthia, it's me. What's going on?"  
  
~Monday, Early Afternoon~  
  
C.J. walked out of her office and headed towards Sam's, ready for lunch. As she entered the Communications bullpen, she noticed Sam's door was closed. She grew a little concerned, since Sam hardly ever closed his door unless he was in an important meeting or on the phone with another politician.  
  
Kathy saw the look on C.J.'s face. "He received a phone call from someone named Cynthia Seaborn. Right after I told him that, he went in there, closed the door, and hasn't come out since." C.J.'s look of concern turned into one of worry. "Do you know who Cynthia is? Is she a relative of his or something?"  
  
"She's his older sister." C.J. answered, in a distant tone. She walked up to Sam's door and knocked.  
  
"Come in," came the melancholy voice from inside the office.  
  
"Hey Sam." She said cautiously and quietly. She knew he was upset. "Kathy told me you received a call from your sister. Is something wrong?" She sat down in one of the chairs in front of his desk.  
  
He let out a long sigh. "My sister called because my mom had a bit of an 'episode' this morning. She had to take her to the hospital, mainly to see if she was alright." There was a distinct sadness in his voice. "I should have been there, C.J. I should have known that something like this was going to happen." He got up from his desk and went around to sit next to her.  
  
She could see tears forming in his eyes. "It would have happened even if you were there Sam. There's nothing you or your sister can do. I mean, it was good that your sister was able to take your mother to the hospital, but neither of you would have been able to prevent it." Sam looked at her, a look of need in his eyes.  
  
She leaned over and took him in her arms, thankful that he didn't pull away. She could tell he was beginning to silently cry. She continued to hold him until the tears subsided.  
  
He gently pulled away. "Thank you. I needed to let that guilt out."  
  
"Sam, you are not guilty of anything," she said softly, "like I have said two or three times now, you and your sister have nothing to be guilty for. It's not your fault."  
  
A small smile crept onto his face. "I know it's just difficult to be on the opposite side of the country, so far away from my family."  
  
"Hey, I nearly missed my dad's birthday, and he's in California too and I don't feel guilty. He didn't blame me either. He was just happy to know that I'm doing, and I quote, 'an excellent job.'" He and the rest of my family love me no matter where I am, and the same goes for your mother and sister. They love you, Sam."  
  
They sat in silence for a few more minutes.  
  
"I hate to do this, but I have a briefing to do, and I know that you have to write that education speech." She said only to find Sam giggling at her.  
  
"You sound like my mother trying to make me do my homework."  
  
"Well then, get to it, Spanky. See you in about an hour. We have a lunch date, remember?"  
  
He nodded and got to work on the speech as C.J. left his office to go give her briefing.  
  
~Monday Evening~  
  
"Come in," C.J. called when she heard someone knock at her door.  
  
"Almost ready to leave?" Sam asked, walking into the office.  
  
"Yeah, I just have to give these documents to Carol, and then I'll be ready, okay?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
After she was finished giving the documents to Carol, the two walked out of the West Wing to the parking lot.  
  
"C.J., I just wanted to, you know, thank you for what you did today." Sam said as they were driving to her apartment.  
  
"I will always be there for you Sam." As she said that, she glanced over at him and smiled to herself. Their friendship was definitely reaching a higher plateau.  
  
"I'll always be there for you too," he said, glancing over at her, also knowing that there was something more than friendship.  
  
When he drove up to her building, C.J. began to get out of the car when Sam stopped her.  
  
"I was thinking. Do you want to do something this weekend?" He asked, hopeful that the answer would be yes.  
  
"Yeah, I'd like that." She answered thoughtfully.  
  
"And thank you again. You really helped me today, C.J." He said sincerely. She looked over at him and gave him a big bear hug.  
  
He hugged her in return, and planted a kiss on her cheek. She could feel herself turning red, but she didn't care. When the two pulled away, she got out of the car and said goodnight to one another.  
  
As he drove off, the two of them knew that they were beginning to feel a certain desire for each other that they would later explore. It was the start of a brand new day for both of them 


End file.
